1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the use of energy delivery devices. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to cooling systems for energy delivery devices.
2. Background of the Related Art
Energy delivery procedures such as tissue ablation are used in numerous medical procedures to treat many conditions. Ablation can be performed to remove undesired tissue such as cancer cells. Ablation procedures may also involve the modification of the tissue without removal, such as to stop electrical propagation through the tissue in patients with an arrhythmia condition. Often the ablation is performed by passing energy, such as electrical energy, through one or more electrodes and causing the tissue in contact with the electrodes to heat up to an ablative temperature.
Electromagnetic (EM) ablation may also be used instead of direct energy discharge into tissue. For example, microwave (MW) ablation is a common example of such EM ablation where energy is applied to tissue through microwave radiation. EM ablation devices may require cooling to operate within desired parameters without damaging the ablation device or causing unintended tissue damage. Examples of EM ablation medical devices include percutaneous needle ablation probes and flexible intraluminal ablation catheters. Some devices implement cooling systems including a peristaltic pump that forces saline or another fluid through a tubing system operably connected to an energy delivery device. The saline solution draws heat from the energy delivery device and is then pumped out into a receptacle or to a drain. However, these systems require constant supply of saline bags, can be wasteful, and can be inefficient.